NASCAR opens palace of blood, sweat and gears

There is fun and games as well as history. OK, I’m not as tuned into the fun-and-games part. You go to a Hall of Fame to feel the history, not to think you are driving like Richard Petty.

The city of Charlotte put up $195 million for the right to build the 150,000-square-foot Hall of Fame, which everyone in the sport believes will become a major tourist attraction.

“If you are a top-five sports league in this country, you need to have a world-class Hall of Fame,” NASCAR Chairman Brian France said when he officially opened the doors Tuesday.

“It’s going to be a place where our fans can come and celebrate and look back on the history of the sport. We haven’t really had that in a formal way all these years.”

NASCAR’s history is as interesting as sports twice its age.

What other sport can trace its roots to an illegal activity – moonshine running, which is where many of the pioneer drivers got their start.

The history of NASCAR is as much rutted dirt tracks and superspeedways as well as muscular men in grimy T-shirts and svelte athletes in fancy driving suits.

The highlight of the first month for the Hall of Fame comes May 23 when the inaugural class is inducted into the Hall of Fame.

The historic class includes founding father Bill France Sr., son Bill France Jr., who turned a regional sport into what it is today, seven-time champions Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt Sr. and famed driver-owner Junior Johnson.

I can’t argue with any of the five. I just wish the first class included six. I think David Pearson is deserving of the honor of being in the inaugural class. No, seven. Cale Yarborough should be in there if for no other reason than I’m partial to Cale Yarborough.

“You’ve got to figure to have a Hall of Fame, you’ve got to have some history,” said Petty during the opening ceremonies.

“NASCAR is just 60 years old. So it took them awhile to accomplish history. If they had one of these 25 years ago, they wouldn’t have had a lot of stuff to put in it.”

I hate to disagree with the King. But the NASCAR of 25 years ago was probably more interesting and colorful than the NASCAR of today.

My hope for this museum — that by opening the door to history — NASCAR will take a hard look at what made the sport great.